Study Smart

Recent research tells us that most college students study by re-reading their course text. However, this is not always the best way to study. When you re-read material it becomes familiar and this sense of familiarity can be mistaken for knowledge.

So if you shouldn’t study by re-reading material what should you do instead? Erica Loken, a recent DePaul graduate, summarized “What Works and What Doesn’t,” a Scientific American Article that describes the utility of different study strategies such as self testing, distributed practice and elaborative interrogation in the below infographic.

Published by Erin Sella

​Erin Sella works with DePaul instructors to promote best practices and build a community of teacher-scholars. Prior to focusing on teaching support, Erin coordinated the Supplemental Instruction program at DePaul. Before joining the Office for Teaching, Learning and Assessment (TLA) in 2014, she worked in student affairs at Illinois Institute of Technology. Erin has a BS in Communication Studies from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse and an M. Ed. in Student Personnel Administration from Springfield College.
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